A botulism outbreak from roasted canned mushrooms

Food-borne botulism is a rare disease that results from ingestion of the toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. The most common cause of the disease is the consumption of home-canned foods prepared under inappropriate conditions, especially in rural environments. In this report, a food-borne botulism outbreak potentially caused by roasted home-canned mushrooms is evaluated and the major reasons for delayed diagnosis are emphasized. The clinical features, symptoms and prognosis of the five botulism patients involved in this outbreak are presented. The clinical progressions, treatments, durations of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit stays and hospital stays of the three patients admitted to Akdeniz University Hospital are reported.